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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. last — final
  5. track — a path
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — a song
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. last — to go on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — finally
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com